Matt's Miscellany

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted on the blog, hasn't it? Well, what better way is there to bring the blog back into commission than to start a list of the films I've seen this year? Normally, I'd put one of my disclaimers up at this point, but I'll forgo the verbose assault as that's all been hashed out on this blog before. BOTTOM LINE: I don't endorse anyone seeing any of these films, no matter what the rating. Whether or not you watch a certain film is between you and the Holy Spirit. Capiche? And if you want to try to infer my level of spiritual maturity by what films I've viewed, that's your waste of time, not mine.

I'll keep this updated as we approach the eventual terminus of 2009. All movies are listed in order of release date. As expected, the only qualification is that the film had an original release date in 2009. Try to guess which ones were my choices and which ones were Susan's. :-)

Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Taken
Coraline
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Watchmen
State of Play
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Star Trek
The Proposal
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

What can the ratings for LOST tell us about the human condition? Observe.

Season 1, Episode 12: 21.5 million viewers

Season 2, Episode 1: 23.4 million viewers

Season 3, Episode 1: 18.8 million viewers

Season 4, Episode 1: 17.7 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 2: 16.9 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 3: 15.6 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 4: 15.4 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 5: 14.9 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 6: 14.9 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 7: 13.8 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 8: 13.3 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 9: 14.0 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 10: 12.9 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 11: 13.0 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 12: 13.1 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 13: 13.9 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 14: 13.9 million viewers

Season 5, Episode 1: 11.3 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 2: 11.2 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 3: 11.0 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 4: 9.8 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 5: 11.4 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 6: 10.0 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 7: 10.6 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 8: 9.4 million viewers

There you have it, folks. As of March 18, 2009 (Season 5, Episode 8), at least 14 million Americans are complete and utter idiots.

Good day. :-)

I'm not naming any names. I'm not pointing to any particular issues. What I am doing, however, is pointing to SBC blogs and journalism. Here's a song from my high school days. I'm sure you will be able to discern what applicability is there and how far it goes. I'm not saying that it correlates perfectly.

That said, shame on us.

"Christian Hate Mail" (Click to listen)
By: Calibretto

What is this I see? Can we not get along?
Discord in the body shows me something is wrong.
Difference of opinion brings about your hate.
The way that we view life makes you so irate.
Why can't you see there's no unity
In the way you hate me just because we don't agree?

Send us your hate mail in the name of Christ.
Insult us, bash us, but don't place nice.
I'm sure the Father's proud of the way you treat your brother.
It's sad to say the Christian way is beating up each other.

Not everything is black and white.
What makes me wrong, what makes you right?
I'm a Christian, too, but I would never want to be like you.
We see things differently.
You don't know my heart and you don't know me.
Stop holding this grudge.
Why don't you let God be my judge?
Your convictions, they are not mine.
The way you act is out of line.

Send us your hate mail in the name of Christ.
Insult us, bash us, but don't place nice.
I'm sure the Father's proud of the way you treat your brother.
It's sad to say the Christian way is beating up each other.

Since the Oscars are tonight, I thought I would share my predictions for all of the major categories. Tomorrow, I'll come back and edit this post with how accurate I ended up being. My predictions are in bold.

EDIT: The winners appear in italics  below. The following are the awards I predicted correctly: Performace by an actor in a leading role, Performance by an actor in a supporting role, Performance by an actress in a leading role, Performance by an actress in a supporting role, Best animated feature film of the year, Achievement in costume design, Achievement in directing, Best documentary feature, Achievement in makeup, Achievement in music written for motion pictures (original score), Achievement in music written for motion pictures (original song), Best motion picture of the year, Achievement in sound editing, Achievement in visual effects, Adapted screenplay, Original screenplay.

Performance by an actor in a leading role

* Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" (Overture Films)
* Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
* Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
* Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

* Josh Brolin in "Milk" (Focus Features)
* Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
* Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)
* Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

* Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (Universal)
* Melissa Leo in "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Meryl Streep in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Kate Winslet in "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

* Amy Adams in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)
* Viola Davis in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year

* "Bolt" (Walt Disney) Chris Williams and Byron Howard
* "Kung Fu Panda" (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount) John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction

* "Changeling" (Universal) Art Direction: James J. Murakami Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Art Direction: Nathan Crowley Set Decoration: Peter Lando
* "The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films) Art Direction: Michael Carlin Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
* "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage) Art Direction: Kristi Zea Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography

* "Changeling" (Universal) Tom Stern
* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Claudio Miranda
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Wally Pfister
* "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design

* "Australia" (20th Century Fox) Catherine Martin
* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Jacqueline West
* "The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films) Michael O'Connor
* "Milk" (Focus Features) Danny Glicker
* "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage) Albert Wolsky

Achievement in directing

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Fincher
* "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Ron Howard
* "Milk" (Focus Features) Gus Van Sant
* "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Stephen Daldry
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature

* "The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)" (Cinema Guild) A Pandinlao Films Production Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
* "Encounters at the End of the World" (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment) A Creative Differences Production Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
* "The Garden" A Black Valley Films Production Scott Hamilton Kennedy
* "Man on Wire" (Magnolia Pictures) A Wall to Wall Production James Marsh and Simon Chinn
* "Trouble the Water" (Zeitgeist Films) An Elsewhere Films Production Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject

* "The Conscience of Nhem En" A Farallon Films Production Steven Okazaki
* "The Final Inch" A Vermilion Films Production Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
* "Smile Pinki" A Principe Production Megan Mylan
* "The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306" A Rock Paper Scissors Production Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Lee Smith
* "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
* "Milk" (Focus Features) Elliot Graham
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year

* "The Baader Meinhof Complex" A Constantin Film Production - Germany
* "The Class" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Haut et Court Production - France
* "Departures" (Regent Releasing) A Departures Film Partners Production - Japan
* "Revanche" (Janus Films) A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production - Austria
* "Waltz with Bashir" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production - Israel

Achievement in makeup

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Greg Cannom
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan
* "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (Universal) Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Alexandre Desplat
* "Defiance" (Paramount Vantage) James Newton Howard
* "Milk" (Focus Features) Danny Elfman
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) A.R. Rahman
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

* "Down to Earth" from "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman Lyric by Peter Gabriel
* "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Gulzar
* "O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam

Best motion picture of the year

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) A Kennedy/Marshall Production Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
* "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
* "Milk" (Focus Features) A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
* "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) A Celador Films Production Christian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film

* "La Maison en Petits Cubes" A Robot Communications Production Kunio Kato
* "Lavatory - Lovestory" A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production Konstantin Bronzit
* "Oktapodi" (Talantis Films) A Gobelins, L'école de l'image Production Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
* "Presto" (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production Doug Sweetland
* "This Way Up" A Nexus Production Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film

* "Auf der Strecke (On the Line)" (Hamburg Shortfilmagency) An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production Reto Caffi
* "Manon on the Asphalt" (La Luna Productions) A La Luna Production Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
* "New Boy" (Network Ireland Television) A Zanzibar Films Production Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
* "The Pig" An M & M Production Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
* "Spielzeugland (Toyland)" A Mephisto Film Production Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing

* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Richard King
* "Iron Man" (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment) Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Tom Sayers
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
* "Wanted" (Universal) Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
* "Wanted" (Universal) Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
* "Iron Man" (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment) John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Screenplay by Eric Roth Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
* "Doubt" (Miramax) Written by John Patrick Shanley
* "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Screenplay by Peter Morgan
* "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Screenplay by David Hare
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay

* "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics) Written by Courtney Hunt
* "Happy-Go-Lucky" (Miramax) Written by Mike Leigh
* "In Bruges" (Focus Features) Written by Martin McDonagh
* "Milk" (Focus Features) Written by Dustin Lance Black
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon
Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

Are video games art in the same sense that films are art? Roger Ebert doesn't believe they are.



Roger Ebert is wrong.

Why? Because, who wouldn't want Silversun Pickups instead of writing a review on this Sunday evening?

"Well Thought Out Twinkles" by Silversun Pickups

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning, so I thought it would be fun to see which of my "top ten" films received nominations, how many, and for what.

"Matt's Top Ten Favorite Films of 2008"

10. In Bruges
Nominated for: Best Original Screenplay

9. Iron Man
Nominated for: Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Achievement in Visual Effects

8. Gran Torino
Nominated for: Nothing--a shock to most of us who keep up with the film industry

7. Doubt
Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Meryl Streep), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Amy Adams), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Viola Davis), Best Adapted Screenplay

6. WALL-E
Nominated for: Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score), Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song), Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Best Original Screenplay

5. The Dark Knight
Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Heath Ledger), Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Film Editing, Best Achievement in Makeup, Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Best Achievement in Visual Effects

4. Frost/Nixon
Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Frank Langella), Best Achievement in Directing (Ron Howard), Best Achievement in Film Editing, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Adapted Screenplay

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Brad Pitt), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Taraji P. Henson), Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Costume Design, Best Achievement in Directing (David Fincher), Best Achievement in Film Editing, Best Achievement in Makeup, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score), Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Best Achievement in Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay

2. Revolutionary Road
Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Michael Shannon), Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Costume Design

1. Slumdog Millionaire
Nominated for: Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Directing (Danny Boyle), Best Achievement in Film Editing, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score), Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song), Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song), Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Best Adapted Screenplay

Hmmm...not bad. Not bad at all. :-)

Thanks for waiting for this, everyone. As you can see from the title above, I've turned this list into a "top ten" list as opposed to a "top five." Why? Well, there were some other movies besides my "top five" which were too good simply to relegate them to "honorable mention" status without saying anything else about them or ranking them. Consequently, this list is now my "top ten favorite films of 2008." Again, the rule for each of my "top" lists is always that each item of media must have had an original release date in 2008. However, before we get into this list, a brief excursus would be beneficial.

EXCURSUS ON THE VIEWING OF "R"-RATED MOVIES:

If one were to do a little research on the films within this list as well as the films in the list of all the films I viewed this year, he or she would discover that several have been given the rating "R - Restricted" by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). This, then, could quite naturally lead to the questioning of whether it is appropriate for a believer to view R-rated movies. As the reader is no doubt aware, some believers choose (based upon personal convictions) to avoid viewing any R-rated movies whatsoever.

The difference between such believers and myself is quite simple: they are willing to let the arbitrary and often politically motivated decisions of a group of (presumably) unbelievers determine whether or not they will see certain movies, while I will not allow such decisions to determine what films I see. Some, I'm sure, will probably disagree with my characterization of the MPAA and attempt to laud it as "not perfect, but the best barometer we have." Unfortunately, those who don't believe that the MPAA's decisions in rating movies are arbitrary obviously have not seen enough films and those who don't believe that the MPAA's decisions in rating movies are often politically motivated are woefully mired in a painful naiveté concerning the way Hollywood operates. The reality is not only that some PG-13 movies should be R (see my comments on The Dark Knight  below) and some R movies should be PG-13, but also that money and corporate "back-scratching" go a very long way in determining a movie's rating.

Because of these circumstances, I simply do not allow the MPAA to determine whether or not I see a film; I let God determine that. There is certainly much to be praised about researching a film's content before viewing it. I always do so in order to educate myself fully about the film and then allow the Holy Spirit to direct me in whether or not it is appropriate viewing.

My point in saying all of this is that if you use the MPAA to determine whether or not you see a film, while I believe you are misguided, such a practice is certainly your prerogative. But, please do not assume that my viewing of certain R-rated films is an accurate measuring stick to determine my level of spiritual maturity; likewise, please do not assume that my viewing of any R-rated film necessarily constitutes my endorsement of the film for viewing by every Christian. And with that, it is now time for one of my famous disclaimers...

DISCLAIMER (to those to whom I must always disclaim things): Please keep the following in mind. The posting of this list of "top ten favorite films of 2008" in no way expressly indicates or otherwise implies that the author of this blog endorses in any way the actual films themselves or the characters, the dialogue, the actions, the theological implications, and the profanities/obscenities that are portrayed therein. Because both art and film as an art form are highly interpretive and subjective in nature, the author of this blog is hereby absolved of any responsibility whatsoever as to how these films or their contents are interpreted by the viewer/reader. Any conclusion (about the films themselves or the author's decision to declare them as his favorites of the year) reached by the viewer/reader that does not adequately take into consideration what is expressly stated in this disclaimer is thereby rendered entirely without merit and erroneous.

Now, on to the show.

Matt's Top Ten Favorite Films of 2008

10. In Bruges



There's just something about British gangsters with comedy thrown in that I love. To be quite honest, though, I usually don't particularly care for Colin Farrell. However, I can't deny that he certainly is entertaining to watch in this film. If nothing else, this movie produced one of the best lines of the year: "If I'd grown up on a farm and was retarded, Bruges might impress me. But I didn't, so it doesn't."

9. Iron Man



Never would I have dreamed that Robert Downey, Jr. would make a comeback. But make a comeback he did with Iron Man. This film truly surprised me. I'll go see almost any superhero movie regardless of quality expectations because I'm a comic book geek, but I honestly wasn't expecting a lot out of Iron Man. How delighted I was to walk out of the theater proven wrong by a film which would end up on my "top ten" list.

8. Gran Torino



What is it about Clint Eastwood that makes him so appealing even in his old age? I don't know, but a well-crafted, if simple, story certainly doesn't hurt. Eastwood proves he's still got what it takes to make a good movie. If Gran Torino  is his last film, it's definitely a good one with which to finish.

7. Doubt



It's rare that a film comes out with three superb, Oscar-worthy performances and with Doubt, there is much "doubt" as to whose is the best between Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Amy Adams. All three play their roles to perfection, taking us inside a Catholic school in 1964 for an intense "did he or didn't he?" drama.

6. WALL-E



If anything, I believe that WALL-E  has proven that animated films can be just as good as live-action films. The story of WALL-E is done well enough that it can produce genuine emotional responses in viewers as well as stand above the plots of much of the tripe I've seen over the years. I've seen a lot of movies. A LOT. In fact, I've seen more films in my 23 years (assuming I started at 4) of movie-watching than many people have seen in their entire lives. WALL-E  is easily better than 90% of them. And it's animated. Go figure.

5. The Dark Knight



Well, here we go into the "top five" and what?...another superhero movie? Well, it just so happens that the The Dark Knight  is the best superhero movie I've ever seen. Let's go ahead and get one thing out of the way: yes, Heath Ledger is amazing as The Joker. But what's even more amazing is that Christopher Nolan transformed a (pop culturally) dying superhero with Batman Begins  and then turned around and made this superhero's next story one of the best films of 2008.

To be sure, The Dark Knight  is dark. Very dark. And it should have been rated "R" because of this. I'm not the only one to make this argument; many others have said the same thing, even a Hollywood director. But, dark as it is, and disturbing as The Joker may be, the film is still at a caliber to which all films should aspire, whatever the genre. It's simply THAT good.

4. Frost/Nixon



While one might think that everything that went on behind the scenes of David Frost's post-resignation interview with Richard Nixon would be boring material for a film, Ron Howard does his best to show us that such was not the case. Whether or not things were really as dramatic as Howard makes them out to be, however, I find irrelevant. In terms of storytelling, things have to be dramatic--otherwise, you are left with a boring documentary (not that all documentaries are boring).

Nixon was called "Tricky Dick" for a reason and if the portrayal of him in this film is remotely accurate, the viewer is left seeing why he earned that name. There's no doubting that the man knew what to say, how to say it, when to say it, and how long to say it. Trying to get him in a corner was like trying to nail Jello to the wall. But when David Frost finally buckled down, loaded his guns, and kept relentlessly firing at Nixon in his last interview with him, the nation finally saw the Nixon they wanted to see: the defeated one.

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button



I won't get into the mixed reviews for this film because understanding all of the issues, especially those voiced by Roger Ebert, would take up far too much space. Instead, I'll just say that with some movies you have to suspend disbelief and allow yourself to be fully immersed in the story. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  is an example of just such an instance par excellence.

David Fincher does some wonderful things with this film and the CGI used to make Brad Pitt age as well as look younger is simply astounding. For some reason, you can't help but think about your own mortality and the events of your own life after watching this film. And in a sense, I suppose that's kind of the point rather than a strict rendering of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story.

2. Revolutionary Road



The much-heralded reuniting of Kate & Leo has received a tepid response from many critics. They don't doubt the power of the performances in the film; rather, their problem is with the film itself. I'm sure there are some reasons not to like the film, but to me, Revolutionary Road  is going to be one of those polarizing "love it or hate it" films.

Some people can't stand "depressing" movies. Some people don't want to watch an on-screen depiction of a married couple with serious, serious problems. Some people don't want to watch people have their lives ripped apart. That's fine. But I'll say this: if ever there was a near-perfect example of the emptiness and hopelessness of life outside of Christ, it would be Revolutionary Road. And sometimes we need to be reminded of just what kind of a life that really would be.

1. Slumdog Millionaire



Wow. Slumdog Millionaire. I never would have guessed that an independent film made in India would walk away with my top favorite movie of the year, but it's really hard not to give Slumdog Millionaire  the praise it deserves. Admittedly, its screenplay is not original--it's based off a novel called Q&A. Since I haven't read the novel, I can't make any judgments based upon it. But I can make judgments based upon what I saw portrayed on the screen and what I saw was simply magnificent.

Who would of thought that someone could turn the story of a young Indian man on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?  into an engrossing story that captivates the viewer and holds his attention throughout? Not me. And definitely not many film critics either, as they all seemed equally pleasantly surprised by this film. We all knew Danny Boyle had talent back with Trainspotting twelve years ago. There's no denying that. But Slumdog Millionaire is his finest work yet.

Films of 2008 I Viewed:
21
27 Dresses
Australia
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Cloverfield
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
The Duchess
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Fireproof
Fool's Gold
Frost/Nixon
Get Smart
Gran Torino
In Bruges
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
My Blueberry Nights
Quantum of Solace
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
Smart People
Speed Racer
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Tropic Thunder
Vantage Point
W.
WALL-E
What Happens in Vegas

Total Time Spent Viewing the Above Films Which Could Have Been Spent Reading Theology: 57 hours, 58 minutes

Total Time Spent Regretting the Decision to View the Above Films Instead of Read Theology: 0 nanoseconds

Continuing on from my previous "top five" post, it is now time for "my top five favorite video games of 2008." Similar to last year, my "top five favorite films of 2008" list will not appear until sometime in January 2009. This is to allow myself enough time to attempt to finish off the movies of 2008 that I want to see. Again, the rule for each of these lists is that each item of media must have had an original release date in 2008. Now, without further adieu...

Matt's Top Five Favorite Video Games of 2008

5. Grand Theft Auto IV  by Rockstar Games, for the Xbox 360



To be honest, I'd rather not get into the issues concerning the content of Grand Theft Auto IV. Yes, in the game you can do some very bad things. Yes, the game is very much the video game equivalent of an R-rated movie. Yes, children can get their hands on this game way too easily. All of that is true and I'm not going to waste my time or yours defending my decision to play the game nor my decision to place it on my "top five" list.

Instead, let me mention the game's massive free-roaming scope, its careful attention to detail, its intricate story, its eclectic blend of real music for listening on the in-game radio stations, its spot-on satirical social commentary, and its ability to make you want just to sit down in front of your television, hop into Liberty City, and do whatever you want through the eyes of an eastern European immigrant. As far as I'm concerned, there have been plenty of games which have billed themselves as "sandbox" titles, but when it gets right down to it, no one has ever done "sandbox" better than Grand Theft Auto IV.

4. Fable II  by Microsoft, for the Xbox 360



Peter Molyneux is a video game visionary--that's certainly no secret to anyone who keeps up with video game culture and industry. But when Molyneux said that he wanted to get serious about moral choices with Fable II, he wasn't messing around. I have never encountered a game before which has such precisely defined and far-reaching consequences for one's moral actions within a game. Do you want to be a truly good hero? That's fine, but you'd better be willing to make some pretty hefty sacrifices. Do you want to be a truly evil hero? Well, you can do that, too, but at what cost?

Fable II  isn't perfect in the execution of its moral system, but it does a pretty fine job and certainly a better job than any game that has come before it. It's expansive, it's fun, and it's about as free-roaming as you're going to get with a role-playing game (RPG) without stepping into the boundaries of a massively-multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). RPG and non-RPG fans alike owe it to themselves at least to give Fable II  a try. If you're like me, you'll play through the game once as good as possible and then once as evil as possible to see just what transpires as the result of your actions.

3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots  by Konami, for the Playstation 3



After twenty-something years, the saga of Snake was finally brought to an end with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. I, as well as many other gamers, had doubts about whether or not Hideo Kojima's team would be able to tie up the myriad loose ends they left throughout the series, but somehow they managed to do it. The story is still convoluted, to be sure, but things even I thought would never be addressed were actually taken care of. To top it off, the game is beautiful (especially in HD) and is probably the closest I've ever seen a game come to being a film, yet still an interactive GAME.

If you have a chance, check out the clip below from 1:25 to 5:20, as it's probably one of the more emotionally nuanced parts of the game. Admittedly, it's hard to understand why if you haven't played through Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Still, the context is that Snake (his codename, of course), an elite special ops soldier who has recently succumbed to accelerated aging presumably due to Werner's Syndrome, has been privately hired to assassinate a terrorist codenamed "Liquid." The problem is that the United States military is after Liquid as well and has sent a special ops team headed by Meryl, who coincidentally has a history with Snake, to capture Liquid. At this point in the game, Snake is 42 years old, but his accelerated aging has made his body that of a man in his sixties. He is wearing specially developed electronic face camouflage which makes his face appear younger.



The game's action is intense, its production level is top-notch, and it is entertaining the whole way through. Anyone who owns a Playstation 3 MUST play this game whether familiar with the series or not. It's simply that good.

2. LittleBigPlanet  by Sony Computer Entertainment, for the Playstation 3



Most older gamers tend to shy away from games that might be deemed "cutesy." But when a "cutesy" game is as much fun as LittleBigPlanet, you can't help but play it and love it. Comparisons of it to traditional platformers are more-or-less accurate, but where LittleBigPlanet  truly differentiates itself is in its jam-packed tools to create your own levels. Never before has there been a video game that encourages you so much to make your own levels for the game, that the user-created levels actually end up being the focus.

I've played through quite a few user-created levels online so far and I must say, some of them are absolutely ingenious and are even better than some of the levels the developers created themselves. I'm still working on creating my first level, but it is time consuming enough at is simply to throw something together. Since I'm a bit more careful and intentional about what I do, I don't foresee my level being completed anytime soon. Another "must-have" for the Playstation 3.

1. Fallout 3  by Bethesda, for the Xbox 360



I don't know what it is about dystopian or apocalyptic themes, but I am naturally drawn to them. Last year, Bioshock, a first-person shooter set in an underwater dystopian city, took my top honor as my favorite game of the year. This year, Fallout 3, an RPG set in an apocalyptic, post-nuclear version of Washington, D.C., is my choice for this year.

Fallout 3  does everything right. It has an engrossing story, the game keeps you interested, it mixes RPG elements with action elements, it is huge, and it simply keeps you coming back for more. Who ever thought that a post-apocalyptic landscape could be so much fun? Like last year's top pick, it even forces you to make important decisions along the way that have far-reaching consequences (not unlike Fable II  above, though not as pronounced).

There is very little not to like about Fallout 3. But there is very much not to see. The game is so big, you can literally spend hours upon hours playing it and still not see everything that's out there in the Capitol Wasteland. I'll be playing it well into 2009; that's for sure.



Honorable Mentions: Rock Band 2  by MTV Games, for the Xbox 360; Braid  by Jonathan Blow, for the Xbox 360; World of Goo  by 2D Boy, for the Wii; Super Smash Bros. Brawl  by Nintendo, for the Wii; Chrono Trigger  by Square Enix, for the Nintendo DS; and The World Ends with You  by Square Enix, for the Nintendo DS

Ah, the end of the year...once Christmas has passed, it's time for everyone to produce their "top" lists of the year! 2008 is no exception for me, so I'll begin with my "Top Five Favorite Albums." As expected, the rule for each of my "top five" lists is that each item of media must have had an original release date in 2008. Now, without further adieu...

Matt's Top Five Favorite Albums of 2008

5. Intimacy  by Bloc Party



To be honest, it was difficult to choose this album over any of this year's "honorable mentions." The reason, I think, is because there are some songs on this album that I just do not like at all. However, the songs I do like more than make up for this deficiency and are so good, in my opinion, that they warrant this album's placement on my "top five" list. If Bloc Party could maintain some consistency on their albums, I think they would be a better band than they already are.

4. The Hawk is Howling  by Mogwai



Some people cannot stand music without lyrics because they don't see the music as transmitting any kind of message. In the case of Mogwai, however, their musical soundscapes do the talking for them. Some people were hoping this album would be the next Come On Die Young, but I think such expectations are as unrealistic as hoping that any of Radiohead's post-OK Computer  albums would be the next OK Computer. Bands evolve musically; let them.

3. Day & Age  by The Killers



Speaking of unrealistic expectations, The Killers unfortunately fell victim to hopes that this album would be the next Sam's Town. When people have expectations for an album that aren't met, the reviews are often lackluster and in the case of this year's offering by The Killers, such lackluster reviews were unfounded because Day & Age  is a solid album. Sure, it wasn't Sam's Town, but it wasn't supposed to be. I'm interested in hearing how some of the tracks of this album sound live when I see them perform in Grand Prairie on February 4.

2. Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust  by Sigur Rós



Last year, Sigur Rós topped my list of favorite albums--this year they are number two. This album is probably their most varied yet--some songs are upbeat and catchy, while others are slow and more subdued. In both cases, they seem to have shed their heavier leanings for lighter fare this time around. I'm always amazed at what Sigur Rós can do and at how their music is able to bring up a wealth of emotions when listening to it. They continue to remain one of my favorite bands.

1. Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends  by Coldplay



If you know me, this choice as my top favorite album of 2008 should come as no surprise. Coldplay continues to become more and more worthy of bona fide rockstar status with each passing year and as long as they keep putting out albums like Viva la Vida, they will cement themselves as one of the world's most popular rock bands. Some may consider them to be a little too radio-friendly, but that doesn't really bother me. Radio-friendly or not, they make excellent music and that's always something I can appreciate.

Honorable Mentions: The Bedlam in Goliath by The Mars Volta, Dear Science  by TV on the Radio, and Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!  by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

I try not to get worked up about too many things, but the recent legal fiasco between 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers over the rights to the film version of Watchmen  has made me and many other Watchmen  fans hopping mad. We were already upset that 20th Century Fox apparently waited to come out and claim rights to the film until Warner Brothers had finished making it--doing so seems very advantageous to Fox, since Warner Brothers did Fox's work for them and Fox would be able to work out a settlement in which they receive some sort of compensation for a movie they didn't even make.

But when Judge Feess ruled in Fox's favor on Christmas Eve, the blood temperature of us (yes, "us," not "we") Watchmen  fans nearly boiled over. Part of the reason is because we see Fox as slimy, money-grubbing executives who strategically waited to make a legal fuss until they saw that the Watchmen  film was finished and highly anticipated. The other part of the reason is because of Tim Rothman, head of Fox, and his idiotic executive cronies who look only at the almighty dollar and throw fanboy sensitivities to the wind. These fine folks are notorious for trimming the running-time of superhero movies, forcing "creative" edits, and even messing with established comic mythology in order to make the films more widely accessible to moviegoing masses. Anyone who has read the glory that is Watchmen  knows that if these people wrest control of the film from the hands of its director, Zack Snyder, and work their voodoo on it, it won't even be worth watching.

Given that there is no way (outside of a legal appeal) for Fox not to get anything, what we're all hoping for, of course, is some type of settlement which leaves the movie "as-is," gives Fox whatever monetary compensation to which Judge Feess believes they are entitled, and maintains the film's March 6 release date. Hopefully, all of this will transpire when Judge Feess issues his more comprehensive ruling in January.

If it does not, then in the words of The Comedian himself, "God help us all." (Melodramatic and facetious, I know, but humor me.) Fox has been on thin ice with fanboys for quite some time; if they attempt to mess with a film over which fanboys have been salivating for twenty-plus years, given the irate responses already proliferating throughout message boards, they undoubtedly will fall through and a boycott of X-Men Origins: Wolverine  will be only the beginning of their problems.

For a better explanation of all of this than my rant, see the following brief article: http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/12/judge-in-watchm.html#more

I don't know how many of you out there watch Survivor, but during the finale on Sunday night, Corinne made what has to be the most brutal and most horrible comment in Survivor  history (and I should know--I've seen all seventeen seasons). I'm posting this not because I found it funny, but because I was pretty shocked that anyone would stoop to such a level, especially in the middle of playing a game, which is what Survivor  ultimately is. I do, however, think that Survivor  tends to bring out what's truly inside the players; based upon what I've read from the host's blog and what I've seen of Corinne outside of the actual show itself, I think I can safely say that what is depicted below is who she really is.

To give a bit of context, Corinne is voting on whether to give Susie, Bob, or Sugar one million dollars. Susie talked a lot, Bob was just an all-around good guy (he ends up winning), and Sugar was generally quite emotional throughout the show because her father died shortly before she went on the show. The comment in question is to Sugar.

I know I am!!!

Not much to say except that it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to! Oh, and check out the bottom-right corner of this picture. ;-)



Here was last night's setlist:
Life In Technicolor
Violet Hill
Clocks
In My Place
Speed Of Sound
Cemeteries Of London
Chinese Sleep Chant
42
Fix You
Strawberry Swing
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (techno medley)
Talk (techno medley)
The Hardest Part (Chris - piano instrumental)
Postcards From Far Away (Chris - piano instrumental)
Viva La Vida
Lost!
The Scientist (acoustic)
Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic - Will singing)
Viva La Vida (techno remix interlude)
------
Politik
Lovers In Japan
Death And All His Friends
-------
Yellow
The Escapist (outro)

...so here you go. This was a nice reminder of why I like Arcade Fire so much.